Print Page - Half sovereign variety ?

Title: Half sovereign variety ?
Post by: echidna on April 02, 2013, 11:52:23 PM

(http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/joseywales10/14792089-rev_zps2ced5022.jpg)
Is that the number 1 or the letter I ?
I see this on many 1880 1883 and 1881 Sydney mint half sovs.

Title: RE: Half sovereign variety ? Number 1 instead of letter I
Post by: Robster on April 03, 2013, 08:20:06 AM

"Good Detective Work."

Title: RE: Half sovereign variety ? Number 1 instead of letter I
Post by: accumulator on April 03, 2013, 01:51:40 PM

I don't know much about gold sovereigns but it certainly looks like a 1 when you compare it to the I in FID.
I just did a google images search on gold half sovereign shield type & all the coins i looked at had the normal I where yours has the 1 .

Title: RE: Half sovereign variety ? Number 1 instead of letter I
Post by: Mister T on April 03, 2013, 06:52:45 PM

Nice find. Do they look like a broken I or an actual 1?
Could it be from another reverse master die?

Title: RE: Half sovereign variety ? Number 1 instead of letter I
Post by: echidna on April 03, 2013, 08:05:29 PM

Quote from: 'Mister T' pid='11319' dateline='1364977365'Nice find. Do they look like a broken I or an actual 1?
Could it be from another reverse master die?

I don't actually own one so I cant say what it looks like in the hand.
The image was taken from the Blue Sheet.
If you search ebay or Nobles archives you will find a number like this.
So they are not rare.
Since it appears on 1880 1881 and 1883 my guess is that its something to do with the master die.

Australian-Coins Forum

Australian Coins, Banknotes and Exonumia => Australian Pre-Decimal Coins => Topic started by: echidna on April 02, 2013, 11:52:23 PM